sorry it took a day to get to this. we're still going thru the pix and I hope to post a few good ones. we took a lot and some came out ok. we only got half videos of sweetleaf and iron man, one stopped for getting doused and having to hide the camera and the next for running out of memory.

after all the back n forth about Bill Ward and how much I hate Lollapalooza, we weighed the positives vs the negatives and just had to go. the last time we turned down Heaven and Hell playing just a mile south of there months before Dio died was the clincher. we could not miss this show. we paid too much for two wristbands from a guy named Chris on Craiglist. we kinda sweated that they were real until we got in.

we took the train and got down there around 5. we stopped and sat in front of the Art Institute and watched a young hispanic couple having really obvious public sex in a little garden area next the the front entrance. we considered videoing it but we didn't want to use up our camera memory.

we got up to the front gate, was searched (we brought in exactly what their website allowed - a non-professional camera, binoculars, a blanket, two 1 liter bottles of water, sunscreen {coulda gotten a lot of other things in too but we didn't bother}) and made our way to the merch booth to get Gnomez his shirts. we got a couple, too, not too expensive and really nice quality. we got a couple of pulled pork sammiches w/ fries ($20) and wandered around for a couple hours, met a bunch of friends having the Oh My God You're Here Too! conversation. we didn't bother drinking - we've been staying sober at concerts recently, mainly because paying $6 for a can of warm bud light is not . . . it's just . . no.

we moved up to the stage area and layed out our blanket and waited for the show to start while the crowd gathered. glad/sad to say it was not as packed as it could have been. the crowd was predominantly younger than we're used to and I think the band was older than they were used to. the die-hards were there in force.it made it easier for us to get up to the front rail, right in front of the sign language interpreter. we now know how to sign, "I CAN'T FUCKING HEAR YOU!" we know some sign and it was cool learning to sign Sabbath.

their setlist was killer and you've seen that and the youtubes already. now, the real review. as much as this was a destination show for us, alright a ten mile destination, this was not the best Sabbath we've seen. they we're understandably off. Ozzy's voice was crackling here and there and the timing got thrown off more than a few times, but with swift recovery. I didn't give a damn. I was 40 feet from Sabbath! and damned happy to be there! a mosh pit broke out right behind us and we became the barrier. we watched the full sturgeon moon rise over the lake during Tomorrow's Dream while fireworks were going off at the south end of the fest over The Black Keys, who "headlined" the fest. cough, cough, ehhhrr.

after the show we were shuffled out of the park and we found a place to hang out on Monroe and watched the sea of humanity pour out. we stood there for an hour before we got back on the train to got home, and it didn't stop. on Saturday there was a weather emergency, evacuating the park. being there the day before, I could not imagine getting everyone out and into the parking garages for safety. the storms were pretty intense and I think what they did was a good idea.

my feet don't hate me as much as they did yesterday. we are so happy that we made the right decision to go.

glad to hear had a great time.....so what the set was not all that good,you were 40 feet from Sabbath and I think thats all that matters..You and your friends are the lucky few that got to see this show and I am happy you guys got too..Sounds like yall had really good time and thanks for the awesome review...

side note ...

missing Heaven and Hell,I bet ya you kick yourself in the ass for that every day..I got to see them on the Metal Master Tour with Judas Priest......at that time it was my 2nd time seeing DIO live.....